The past Monday, the 2025 NBA Draft was in Chicago. With a 1.8% chance of winning, Dallas will finish the No. 1 pick in June. General Manager Nico Harrison said the team plans to draft Duke’s Cooper Flagg.
San Antonio is second, and they are expected to choose Rutgers' Dylan Harper. The third pick in the 2025 NBA Draft belongs to the Philadelphia 76ers. The mock draft allowed the Sixers to choose Rutgers' ace Bailey with the third pick. However, NBA insider Sam Vecenie reported that Philadelphia “expected” to listen to the third-ranked deal quote.
Should the 76ers trade the third pick as a winning talent?
It is reported that 76 people are open to third-ranked deals @sam_vecenie pic.twitter.com/bcssocxx3v
– nbacentral (@thedunkcentral) May 16, 2025
In the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, the Sixers scored one goal. There is a sixth or lower option. If Philadelphia gets the seventh pick or higher, its draft pick will be handed over to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Kevin Negandhi of ESPN is the host of Monday Night Lottery. He slipped and said the Sixers had fallen from the top six and lost to OKC.
However, the Sixers did retain their draft pick in 2025 and secured a third overall pick. NBA insider Sam Vecenie said Philly “expected” to hear a third-ranked deal offer. He explains how Ace Bailey has prospects in #3, but the Boy Scouts see him as a project. Among the players in the 76ers' current roster, the team needs the winning talent.
Last season, the Sixers suffered injuries from top players in the lineup due to injuries. Joel Embiid played 19 games for the Sixers in 2024-25. Is the team willing to split up with top draft capital to fill the veteran winners and can now fill the lineup? If the Sixers choose to retain the third pick, they can choose VJ Edgecombe instead of Ace Bailey. Currently, Edgecombe is seen as a prospect with more NBA preparation. That could swing the Sixers to pick him with Ace Bailey. We will wait until the June draft to see where these players land.
